The  Relation  of  the  Railway 

to 

Community  and  State -Wide 
Advertising 


ADDRESS 

BY 

HOWARD  ELLIOTT 

KIESIDENT,  NORTHERN  PACIFIC  RAILWAY 

Before  the 

Oregon  Development  League 

In  Annual  Convention 


Salem,  Ore. 
NOVEMBER  29,  1910 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/relationofrailwaOOelli_0 


The  Relation 
of  the  Railway  to  Community  and 
State -Wide  Advertising 

By 

HOWARD  ELLIOTT 

Ob'ect  of  meeting  together  today  to  consider  ways  and 

.  means  of  making  the  State  of  Oregon,  and  the  won- 

derful  advantages  and  possibilities  it  possesses, 
better  known  to  the  world.  Much  has  been  accomplished  since 
„  -  that  day,  May  11,  1792,  when  Captain  Robert  Gray,  in 
„.  his  ship  "Columbia",  discovered  the  magnificent  river 

named  after  his  sturdy  little  vessel.  In  October,  1792, 
300  years  after  Columbus  discovered  America,  Lieutenant  Brough- 
ton,  in  his  ship  the  "Chatham"  sailed  up  the  Colimibia  River  to 
a  point  where  Vancouver  now  is;  and  as  you  all  know,  the  British 
Government  tried  to  claim  possession  of  much  of  this  region 
because  of  Broughton's  trip,  but  Captain  Gray's  prior  crossing 
of  the  Columbia  River  Bar  secured  this  great  country  for  the 
United  States. 

On  November  6,  1805,  Lewis  and  Clark  camped  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Cowlitz  River  on  their  way  to  the  sea,  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  March,  or  early  part  of  April,  1806,  they  discovered  the 
Willamette. 

On  March  22,  1811,  Mr.  Astor's  ship  "Tonquin"  arrived 
safely  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  and  founded  the  town 
of  Astoria;  and  a  land  party,  after  intense  hardships,  crossed  the 
country  and  joined  the  sea  party  at  Astoria.  In  the  latter  party 
were  Ramsey  Crooks  and  John  Day,  a  Virginia  himter,  whose 
names  are  familiar  to  all  who  know  Oregon  and  its  history. 


In  1832,  foiir  Flathead  Indians  made  a  trip  to  St.  Louis  to 
ask  about  tlie  white  man's  God  and  Bible.  Two  of  the  Indians 
died  in  St.  Louis,  and  the  other  two  expressed  disappointment 
that  they  had  only  been  entertained  by  gifts  and  shows,  and  had 
not  found  the  Light  and  Book  of  which  they  were  in  quest.  Rev. 
Samuel  Parker  of  Middlefield,  Massachusetts,  heard  this  story, 
and  was  fired  with  the  desire  to  carry  the  Light  and  the  Book  to 
the  Indians  of  the  Northwest;  and  he  and  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman 
set  out  March  14, 1835,  from  St.  Louis,  and  from  Liberty,  Missouri, 
in  May,  1835.  Dr.  Whitman  did  not  go  all  the  way  on  this  trip, 
but  Mr.  Parker  kept  on  clear  through  to  Astoria.  He  makes  an 
interesting  statement  in  his  journal,  namely: 

"There  would  be  no  difi&culty  in  the  way  of  constructing 
a  railroad  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  There 
is  no  greater  difficulty  in  the  whole  distance  than  has  al- 
ready been  overcome  in  passing  the  Green  Moimtains 
between  Boston  and  Albany,  and  probably  the  time  may 
not  be  far  distant  when  tours  will  be  made  across  the 
Continent  as  they  have  been  made  to  the  Niagara  Falls  to 
see  Nature's  wonders." 

Even  in  that  early^day,  there  was^a^  suggestion  that  a  railroad 

was  desirable. 

These  were  some  of  the  first  small  beginnings  of  the  white 
man's  opening  up  of  what  is  now  Oregon,  and  it  is  hard  today  to 
realize  the  great  courage,  patience,  pluck  and  perseverance  these 
early  explorers  possessed,  and  that  was  shown  also  by  the  pioneers 
led  by  Jason  Lee  who  settled  in  this  beautiful  Willamette  Valley. 
Your  gifted  authoress,  Mrs.  Dye,  tells  much  of  the  pioneer  days 
of  Oregon,  and  it  is  a  wise  and  good  v/ork  that  she  has  done  to  set 
forth  some  of  that  early  life  before  all  of  those  who  know  about 
it  have  passed  away.  ^ 

Since  those  early  days,  there  has  been  much 
Oregon  and  development,  but  not  nearly  all  that  there 

Northern  Pacific.  ^^^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^1^  of 

transportation  facilities. 

4 


You  have  honored  me  in  asking  me  to  speak  before  your  body. 
The  Northern  Pacific  has  a  very  large  interest  in  helping  to 
develop  Oregon.  In  February,  1872,  it  made  its  first  investment 
in  this  stat-e  when  it  purchased  control  of  the  Oregon  Steam  Navi- 
gation Company,  which  operated  steamers  on  the  Columbia, 
Snake  and  Willamette  Rivers,  and  which  had  portage  railroads 
at  the  Dalles  and  Cascades.  The  old  railroad  company  had  to 
surrender  these  properties  in  the  panic  of  1873,  and  they  became 
the  foundation  of  what  is  now  the  Oregon  Raikoad  &  Navigation 
Company.  The  Northern  Pacific  has  done  business  in  and  out  of 
Portland  for  many  years,  and  in  1884,  it  built  its  line  from  Portland 
to  Goble  and  there  connected  with  its  line  to  Tacoma,  Seattle  and 
on  east.  So,  we  have  been  with  vou  in  spirit  for  nearly  forty  ye^rs, 
and  in  body  twenty-six  years.  The  last  five  years  have  shown  a 
greater  development  than  in  the  preceding  period,  through  our 
engaging  in  the  enterprises  known  familiarly  as  the  "North  Bank 
Road";  the  Oregon  Trunk  Line  to  Central  Oregon;  the  Oregon 
Electric  road  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  and  the  United  Railways 
enterprise  in  Washington  County,  in  all  of  which  projects  the 
Northern  Pacific  has  a  half  ownership. 

Until  the  recent  construction  of  the  Oregon  Trunk  by 
Central  ^^^^  Northern  and  Northern  Pacific,  and  of  the 
Oregon.  ^^-^^,^^3  projected  by  the  Union  Pacific  Interests,  the 
whole  state  of  Ohio  could  have  been  placed  in  Central  Oregon, 
and  not  a  railroad  would  have  touched  it.  The  building  of  rail- 
roads, however,  will  not  develop  the  cotmtry  unless  they  are 
followed  very  promptly  by  those  who  are  wilHng  to  cultivate  the 
land,  develop  the  water  powers  and  establish  mills  and  industries. 
I  take  it  that  the  object  of  this  meeting  is  to  do  all  we  can  to  bring 
about  these  results  which  are  desired  by  every  good  citizen  of 
Oregon  and  which  are  absolutely  essential  to  the  owner  of  the 
railway,  who  has  taken  the  risk  of  investing  his  money  before 
there  is  any  business  for  him  to  do. 

5 


Credit  Due  ^  think  great  credit  is  due  to  the  courteous  and 
The  League  ^^^^  gentleman  who  is  the  president  of  the  Oregon 
*  Development  League,  Mr.  Theodore  B .  Wilcox,  and 
to  the  active  secretary,  Mr.  C.  C.  Chapman,  both  of  whom  have 
devoted  so  much  time  and  thought  to  welding  together  into  one 
compact  organization,  all  the  energetic  organizations  throughout 
the  state,  with  the  one  object  in  view  of  building  up  Oregon  first, 
and  then  each  particular  community  afterwards.  Selfishness  must 
be  eHminated  if  the  best  results  are  to  be  obtained,  and  the  towns 
and  cities  will  grow  if  the  country  back  of  them  can  be  peopled 
with  intelligent  and  industrious  men  and  women. 

Co  O  erative  There  has  been  a  very  general  movement 

_      ,  ^      J    in  the  United  States  during  the  past  ten 

Development  and  ^       ,  , 

P  bli  it  Effort  J^^ns,  toward  closer  co-operation  among 
business  men,  which  has  resulted  in  the 
organization  of  Commercial  Clubs  and  similar  associations.  The 
existence  of  such  clubs,  successfully  developing  strength  and 
efficiency  in  their  local  fields,  has  led  to  a  broadening  of  their 
activities.  The  energies  and  the  enthusiasms  stirred  up  among 
business  men  by  the  success  of  co-operative  effort  among  them- 
selves, has  resulted  in  the  organization  of  many  County  and  State 
Commercial  Leagues .  These  have  taken  up  the  v/ork  no  individual 
club  can  do,  and  have  awakened  great  interest  in  community, 
district  and  state  advertising,  publicity  and  development. 

Here  in  Oregon,  you  have  a  powerful  League,  already  widely 
known  because  of  its  effective  methods  and  the  practical  results 
which  have  followed  its  work  of  inducing  the  various  cities  and 
towns  to  engage  in  the  business  of  making  their  resources  and 
opportunities  known  to  the  world  outside,  and  your  work  is  being 
well  done. 

One  effect  of  community  advertising  in  all  parts  of  the  United 
States,  has  been  the  increasing  employment  of  trained,  experienced 
and  competent  men,  to  specialize  in  this  field.  Co-operation 
among  these  specialists  in  industrial  promotion  and  publicity  has 
been  brought  about  by  meetings  to  discuss  new  methods  of  work, 
to  originate  new  promotion  plans,  and  for  an  interchange  of  ideas. 


With  these  various  men  and  organizatioi^,  the  railways  afe 
glad  to  work  in  harmony,  for  such  co-operative  work  shoiild  yield 
good  results  in  the  development  of  the  country. 

One  diffictilty  that  is  sometimes  encotintered  by  a  Commercial 
Club,  or  Business  Association,  comes  from  the  apathy  of  some  of 
the  successful  business  men,  who  sometimes  do  not  look  with 
favor  upon  the  work  imdertaken.  A  proper  comprehension  by 
all  our  business  men  of  what  these  co-operative  organizations  can 
do  is  needed,  and  every  one  should  help.  The  sober  judgment 
of  the  hard-headed  business  man  will,  at  times,  prevent  mistakes 
that  may  be  made  by  the  younger  and  more  enthusiastic  citizens 
in  their  efforts  to  build  up  their  own  particular  town  or  district. 

"Forttme  helps  those  who  help  themselves."  The  govern- 
ment can  do  something  to  help  the  growth  of  the  country;  the 
railway  can  do  something,  but  the  bulk  of  the  real  work  must  be 
done  by  the  individuals,  and  they  must  not  expect  some  outside 
power  and  influence  to  solve  their  problems  for  them.  The  great 
commercial  centers  of  this  country,  and  particularly  the  active, 
growing  cities  of  the  Pacific  Northwest,  recognize  this  fact,  and 
show  their  appreciation  of  it  by  their  vigorous  efforts  for  their  own 
development  and  advancement. 

Community  advertising  is  now  a  tested  business,  known  to  be 
productive  of  results  in  permanent  additions  to  population,  both 
in  the  town  and  country,  and  in  larger  production,  and  buying 
power.  A  merchant  can  add  to  his  profits  by  joining  heartily  in 
the  work  of  those  who  are  trying  to  develop  the  whole  State. 
Every  business  man  has  a  deep  interest  in  the  good  of  his  commu- 
nity, which  is  not  visionary  or  sentimental,  but  measureable  in 
dollars  and  cents.  To  credit  him  with  prudence  is  but  to  express 
in  other  words  the  thought  that  his  duty  is  to  join  in  such  work 
and  assist  it. 

The  old  saying  is  that  "Advertising  Pays.*' 
Boosters  versus  ^^.^  ^^^^^^  amended  to  read  that  "Wise 
Boomers.  Advertising  of  Good  Things  Pays."  There 

is  a  great  difference  between  the  booster  and  the  boomer.  The 
boomer  may  not  have  the  right  article  to  advertise,  and  although 

7 


«' 


sincerely  enthusiastic,  the  extravagant  language  of  his  advertising 
will  not  produce  the  results  which  follow  wise,  well  planned,  and 
conservative  publicity  and  promotion  campaigns.  The  boomer 
is  too  apt  to  consider  only  the  immediate  effects  of  his  efforts,  not 
caring  for  any  damage  that  may  flow  from  his  mis-guided  energy. 

The  booster  builds  on  proven  facts,  not  only  for  the  present, 
but  for  the  future,  and  he  does  not  undertake  to  exploit  an  article 
or  a  situation  unless  it  is  worthy.  When  he  has  such  a  condition, 
his  advertising  will  consist  of  truthful  statements  of  conditions 
that  can  stand  the  closest  analysis.  Advertising,  resting  upon 
such  a  wise  basis,  will  need  no  apologies  or  explanations,  for  the 
future  will  prove  that  in  preparing  it,  less  than  the  full  truth  was 
told,  rather  than  more. 

Community  Advertising,  The  earlier  forms  of  advertising  h^^^ 

a  New  Form  of  Applied    *°  f°  "^^K^^^  "^^t'^""  ""^f 
c,  1  1  .  and  sales  for  specific  commodities 

Salesmanship.  .  ,       ^       ^  ... 

in  general  use.    In  Pompeu,  the 

dead  walls  still  show  a  crude  form  of  display  advertising,  calling 
the  attention  of  the  passer-by  to  the  arguments  of  the  vendor, 
and  very  recent  discoveries  prove  that  this  form  of  publicity  was 
used  for  political  advertising  in  ward  elections. 

The  essential  purpose  of  an  advertisement,  to  obtain  attention, 
create  an  interest,  and  produce  a  desire  to  follow  suggestion, 
although  in  a  primitive  way,  was  evident  in  this  ancient  adver- 
tising. In  the  earlier  business  history  in  this  country,  commercial 
advertising  had  not  freed  itself  entirely  from  the  crudities  of 
Pompeii.  The  advertising  of  today  is  different,  and  is  applied  to 
the  creation  of  markets  for  new  and  previously  unthought-of 
goods.  It  follows  the  course  pioneered  by  Jay  Cooke  when  he 
first  undertook  the  sale  of  government  bonds,  which  he  placed 
through  a  publicity  campaign,  and  is  becoming  in  this  present 
day  a  recognized  method  of  placing  securities.  Hardly  a  com- 
mercial business  is  without  some  assistance  from  it.  It  helps  to 
secure  travel  for  railways;  to  sell  lands;  to  people  new  country; 
to  influence  public  opinion  on  great  national  questions,  and  is 
»ven  a  great  party  weapon  in  our  national  poHtical  campaigns. 

8 


With  more  scientific  knowledge  of  business  forces,  has  come  a 
more  intelligent,  accurate  and  thorough  imderstanding  and 
application  of  the  principles  of  advertising,  publicity  and  pro- 
motion. Advertising  in  itself  is  founded  upon  only  a  limited 
ntunber  of  basic  principles,  and  has  no  established  rules  or  tech- 
nique, recognized  by  all  advertising  men  in  common,  except  as 
their  experience  teaches  them  the  value  of  a  few  rules  found  to 
be  desirable.  These,  however,  are  broad  in  their  application,  and 
the  manner  in  which  they  are  applied  depends  almost  wholly  upon 
the  knowledge  of  humanity,  and  the  judgment  and  discretion  of 
the  individual  who  applies  them  to  his  purposes,  and  upon  the 
amoimt  of  money  that  he  can  use.  Advertising  is  used  and 
misused,  and  much  bad  advertising  occiu*s,  not  because  adver- 
tising as  a  business  method  does  not  pay,  but  because  a  better, 
more  experienced  and  more  intelligent  advertising  man  is  needed. 

The  past  quarter-century  in  the  United  States  has  witnessed 
the  highest  development  advertising  has  received  in  any  country, 
and  in  conmiunity  advertising  this  progress  has  been  especially 
noticeable. 


from  the  advertising  which  produces  passenger  business. 

The  work  of  rural  development  cannot  be  done  by  the  town 
or  the  railway  alone.  It  is  necessary  that  each  community,  so 
largely  dependent  upon  the  country  back  of  it,  join  with  the 
railway  in  encouraging  the  growth  of  business  and  industries;  in 
attracting  experienced  agriculturaHsts,  and  increasing  the  number 
of  successful  farmers  within  its  trade  zone. 

A  greater  agricultural  population  tends  to  hasten  the  con- 
struction of  better  roads;  the  extension  of  rural  mail  delivery; 
the  development  of  local  telephone  lines,  and  to  bring  a  general 
improvement  in  all  of  the  conditions  surroimding  country  Hfe. 
No  reputation  is  better  than  that  which  provokes  the  remark 
"Blankville  is  a  good  Town."  Good  towns  do  not  develop  imtil 
the  surrounding  territory  furnishes  the  business.    Good  towns  do 


District  Advertising 
by  the  Community. 


The  railways  must  of  necessity  devote 
much  attention  to  immigration  and 
development  advertising  as  distinguished 


9 


not  develop  unless  the  old-timers  welcome  the  new-comers,  and 
hold  out  to  them  a  helping  hand.  The  investment  that  may  be 
made  by  a  town  in  advertising  the  country  tributary  to  it,  is 
one  of  the  best  that  can  be  made.  The  distribution  of  such 
advertising  matter  can  be  aided  by  the  railways.  Publications 
issued  by  local  communities  avoid  the  criticism  to  which  a  railway 
is  subject  if  it  favors  one  community  as  against  another. 

_      _  ,    ^  ^  The  Railway  was  one  cf  the  pioneers 

The  Railway's  Interest  ^  ^^^.^^j  advertising.   Its  busi- 

in  Community  and  _  ^^^^    ^^^^  ^j^^^  recognized 

State-Wide  Advertismg.  ^^^^     ^^^^  ^ 

which  is  its  only  commodity,  by  creating  public  interest  in  its 
territory,  its  faciHties,  the  commercial  centers  it  reached  and  the 
scenic  and  other  attractions  of  the  country  adjacent  to  its  lines. 
The  earher  idea  of  railway  advertising,  that  it  was  an  agency 
chiefly  valuable  in  influencing  travel,  has  given  way  to  a  broader 
appHcation  of  its  principles  to  problems  which  the  railway  faces, 
and  it  is  regarded  now,  not  alone  as  an  aid  to  passenger  business, 
but  as  a  powerful  help  in  the  settlement  of  agricultural  districts, 
in  the  development  of  industries  where  they  are  needed  and  in 
other  work  which  promotes  the  progress  of  cities,  districts  and 
states. 

Many  people  do  not  understand  how  energetically  or  how 
steadily  and  continuously  the  advertising  and  publicity  work  of 
a  great  railway  system  is  prosecuted.  Railway  advertising  is 
necessarily  tmlike  community  advertising,  for  the  railway  repre- 
sents not  one,  but  many  communities,  with  similar  claims  and 
advantages.  The  railway  must  not  deal  more  generously  with 
one  city  than  another,  or  with  one  district  than  another.  If  it 
does  it  is  justly  subject  to  criticism.  Its  interest  in  each  of  the 
States  it  serves  is  equal  and  its  energies  must  be  fairly  apportioned. 

Upon  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway,  the  advertising  effort  is 
not  confined  wholly  to  the  Passenger  and  Advertising  Depart- 
ments, but  includes  other  work  as  well,  which  is  continuously 
and  energetically  prosecuted.  The  Immigration  Department  is 
concerned  chiefly  with  attracting  settlers  and  business  men  to. 

10 


'Northern  Pacific  territory.  It  has  a  staff  of  fifteen  men,  per- 
manently employed,  who  handle  50,000  different  inquiries  from 
interested  persons  each  year.  They  distribute  annually  nearly 
300,000  copies  of  175  different  kinds  of  literature.  It  maintains 
an  exhibit  car  fiUed  with  the  products  of  the  different  States  in 
which  the  railway  has  lines,  and  has  two  other  traveling  exhibits, 
in  addition  to  permanent  agricultural  displays  in  various  cities. 

In  the  Advertising  Department  are  handled  the  details  of 
compiling  and  publishing  advertising  booklets,  leaflets  and  mis- 
cellaneous matter,  of  which  very  large  quantities  are  used,  of 
preparing  time-tables  and  folders  for  the  use  of  the  public,  and  of 
creating,  by  means  of  extensive  advertising  in  newspapers,  farm 
journals,  magazines  and  other  publications,  a  demand  for  infor- 
mation concerning  the  regions  which  the  railway  traverses. 
Through  practically  all  of  the  railway's  display  advertising,  runs 
an  undercurrent  of  development  and  immigration  argument. 
The  advertisement  which  tells  of  train  service,  tells  as  well  of  the 
opportunities  for  fruit-growing,  farming  and  other  activities  in 
that  territory  the  trains  reach.  The  advertising  of  cities  and 
districts,  directs  the  business  man's  attention  to  the  opportunities 
Western  cities  afford. 

Dtuing  1910  there  has  been  issued  from  this  department,  23 
different  publications  to  induce  immigration,  xo  the  total  nimaber 
of  727,500  copies,  all  of  which  were  required  to  n:eet  the  demands 
of  the  public  at  large.  During  the  year,  display  av-lvertising  was 
used  in  12  of  the  leading  newspapers  of  Europe  with  gratifying 
success,  and  through  this  means,  information  of  the  oppjrtunities 
and  resources  of  the  West  was  given  to  a  large  number  of  people 
in  Etirope.  Sets  of  beautifully  colored  lantern  slides  have  been 
extensively  circulated  in  this  country  and  Great  Britain,  giving 
many  thousands  an  opportunity  to  see  for  themselves,  the  beauty 
and  productiveness  of  various  districts  in  these  States.  From 
the  display  advertising  done  dining  the  year,  the  number  of 
inqtiiries  received  has  reached  as  high  as  610  per  day,  and  this 
does  not  include  those  received  by  the  Immigration  Department 
and  referred  to  a  moment  ago. 


11 


But  this  is  not  all  the  railway  does  in  helping  to  develop  the 
territory  it  serves.  During  the  past  year,  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railway  Company  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  Dry  Farming 
Congress,  the  National  Apple  Show,  the  National  Irrigation 
Congress,  and  in  many  other  meetings  held  for  the  purpose  of 
making  the  best  use  of  the  country.  It,  in  common  with  other 
Railway  Companies,  beheves  that  the  spreading  of  information 
that  will  help  to  improve  agricultural  methods,  is  of  benefit  to 
the  whole  country,  and  incidentally  to  the  railway. 

The  officers  of  the  railway  would  like  to  take  part  in  more  of 
these  meetings,  but  so  much  of  their  time  is  taken  up  before 
Courts  and  Railway  Commissions  defending  their  properties,  and 
explaining  conditions,  that  opportunity  to  participate  with  you 
in  such  work  is  seriously  curtailed. 

For  two  months  this  year,  this  Company  operated  a  Better 
Farming  Special  Train  through  three  of  the  Western  States,  the 
Agricultural  College  of  each  State  furnishing  instructors  and 
various  appHances.  Similar  work  has  been  done  by  other  Railway 
Companies,  and  nearly  all  are  endeavoring  to  help  Experimental 
Farms,  and  to  co-operate  with  the  Agricultural  Colleges  in  im- 
proving the  methods  of  farming,  and  in  trying  to  make  hfe  on  the 
farm  more  attractive.  In  North  Dakota,  several  hundred  school 
children  recently  completed  a  contest  in  the  production  of  com, 
potatoes  and  strawberries;  the  State  furnished  the  seed  and  the 
plants,  the  winner  received  one  week's  instruction  at  the  State 
Agricultural  College,  and  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company 
gave  to  the  winning  children,  transportation  to  and  from  school. 

.  ,   ^  Advertising  has  passed  the  experimental 
Responsibility  of  thej  ^^^^^^  ^^^^^^  ^  business  re- 

Advertiser,  quiring  skill,  imagination  and  discretion. 

There  is  a  very  great  responsibihty  upon  the  man  who  uses  up  ink 
and  paper  for  development  advertising,  and  upon  the  writer  who 
is  furnishing  information  for  the  use  of  farmers  and  business  men. 
A  community  that  is  over  exploited,  hurts  itself,  and  the  plain, 
simple  truth  intelligently  told,  without  extravagant  adjectives, 
is  the  best  advertising,  for  the  man  who  is  attracted  by  it  and 

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proves  to  be  better  pleased  than  he  thought,  becomes  a  booster 
for  the  country. 

One  form  of  advertising  which  re-acts  and  has 
^^^^  a  very  serious  effect  in  the  development  of 

Speculation.  ^^.^  ^^^^^  Pacific  Northwest,  is  the  advertis- 
ing of  the  land  boomer  who  is  trying  to  get  an  excessive  profit 
in  handling  real  estate  of  one  kind  and  another.  The  man  who 
leaves  his  home  in  the  Middle  West  or  the  East  and  acquires  a 
farm  or  property  because  he  has  been  influenced  by  extravagant 
or  even  false  statements,  and  pays  an  unfair  price  for  the  land, 
counteracts  a  great  deal  of  the  good  advertising  that  is  done  by 
those  who  are  sincerely  trying  to  build  up  the  State,  and  are 
working  for  its  development. 

For  the  farmer  to  succeed,  he  must  not  have  too  heavy  interest 
and  overhead  charges,  and  speculation  in  land  should  be  curtailed, 
so  far  as  it  is  possible  to  do  so,  by  an  intelligent  pubHc  opinion. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  the  new  settler,  who  succeeds  and 
is  satisfied,  is  the  very  best  Immigration  Agent. 

There  is  an  old  saying  that  "What  is  Everybody's 
Laws  and  g^g-^^^gg  ^g  Nobody's  Business."  Of  late  years  in 
Business.  United  States,  everybody,  and  that  is  the 

people  at  large,  through  their  Legislatures,  and  Commissions  and 
Bureaus,  have  been  undertaking  to  regulate  and  manage  in  detail, 
some  of  the  larger  forms  of  business,  particularly  the  railways, 
which  are  so  much  needed  for  a  proper  development  of  the  Western 
States,  and  of  Oregon  especially.  The  result  is  that  the  people 
whose  real  business  it  is  to  manage  the  railway,  namely:  the 
owners  and  the  men  they  employ,  are  becoming  discouraged  by 
being  interfered  with  constantly,  and  there  is  danger  that  this 
interference  will  produce  a  condition  where  the  railway  business 
is  nobody's  business. 

The  good  sense  of  the  American  people  will  probably  make 
them  realize  the  situation  before  it  is  too  late,  but  a  great  body 
of  intelligent  men,  like  the  Oregon  Development  League,  should 
consider  whether  it  is  wise  to  go  on  indefinitely  attacking  the 
transportation  business,  and  whether  it  is  not  better  to  let  those 

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1 


who  own  it,  and  the  trained  men  who  have  grown  up  in  the 
business,  manage  it  instead  of  turning  that  management  over  to 
others. 

Some  of  the  Western  States,  and  particularly  Oregon,  have 
felt  that  the  so-called  conservation  movement  has  gone  too  far, 
and  that  too  much  valuable  territory  has  been  tied  up  by  govern- 
mental order  made  by  some  one  far  off,  who  was  not  in  a  position 
to  understand  the  real  necessities  and  conditions  of  this  growing 
West  of  ours.  Any  unwise  and  unjust  action  of  this  Idnd  has  had 
a  repressing  effect  in  the  development  of  the  coimtry,  and  similar 
arbitrary  and  unwise  action  by  Legislatures,  Commissions,  and 
various  Bureaus,  that  affect  the  initiative  and  the  right  of  the 
owner  of  property  to  manage  his  own  business,  will  have  the 
same  repressing  effect. 

In  addition  to  advertising  the  State  and  its  resources,  I  suggest 
that  the  Oregon  Development  League  exert  its  influence  so  that 
the  United  States  and  the  investing  world  will  understand  and 
believe  the  fact  that  in  Oregon  a  dollar  wisely  invested  is  safe, 
and  that  the  laws  of  the  Nation  and  of  the  State  will  permit  the 
owner  to  keep  the  dollar,  earn  a  fair  return  upon  it,  and  make  a 
reasonable  profit,  if  he  uses  ordinary  common  sense,  industry  and 
intelligence. 

rjij^^  With  the  wonderful  resources  that  this  State  has; 

Future  ^^^^  coming  transportation  lines  in  the  interior, 
coupled  with  the  feeling  that  life  and  property  are 
absolutely  secure,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  development  in 
Oregon  in  the  next  twenty  years  will  not  far  siu-pass  all  of  the 
development  up  to  the  present  time. 

pM  The  four  simple  Indians  who  traveled  half  way  across  the 
Continent  in  1832  to  obtain  the  Light  and  the  Book,  from  the 
East,  are  gone,  but  we  of  the  Pacific  Northwest  have  a  mission 
in  carrying  the  Light  of  this  great  country  of  promise,  and  the 
Book  that  tells  about  it,  back  to  the  Mississippi  VaUey,  and  to 
our  friends  on  the  Atlantic  Coast. 


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